Major Case(26 Jul. 2009)

Detective Nichols correctly surmises that the esteemed head of the crime lab killed a teenage drug dealer and is planting evidence to frame another man, but has a hard time convincing captain Ross to go along with him.

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Detective Nichols correctly surmises that the esteemed head of the crime lab killed a teenage drug dealer and is planting evidence to frame another man, but has a hard time convincing captain Ross to go along with him.

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Dylan Baker plays Henry, a lab tech who goes into a fit of rage (sourced in the reptilian brain); similarly, Baker played Doc Conners in Spider-Man, who in the comics is a scientist who turns into the raging Lizard. See more »

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Detective Nichols and Wheeler(Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Nicholson)are temporarily on a case regarding a dead girl's homicide(the body was cleaned with bleach)which Captain Danny Ross(Eric Bogosian)wants moved out of the Special Case Squad. Nichols, however, thinks this particular murder, with little actual evidence thanks to a really talented killer left to finger anyone, is indeed a special case in need of certain attention. He turns to renowned forensic genius, Henry Muller(Dylan Baker)for help, believing, with all faith, than if anyone can find a clue it would be him. The crux of the matter is that it's actually Muller who is the one responsible for the murder! He likes certain girls(we see that, in a scene in the precinct, where Muller becomes captivated by a girl on a cell phone)and, with an inability to actually confront women and talk to them in a normal way, can not control his urge when the murder victim came to his home, after a spat with her boyfriend. We see that the murder victim's mother is an alcoholic(not to mention the mother's boyfriend who is a suspect)and that the young girl's home life was more than a bit difficult. When Wheeler goes into labor(her water breaks while talking about their case is boss Ross' office!), Nichols is given 72 hours on the homicide partnered with Alexander Eames(Kathryn Erbe)by Ross who just wants to move it down to "the appropriate homicide team". When Muller plants evidence of the mother's boyfriend on the dead girl's body, (among other curious signs Nichols picks up on, such as seeing Muller identifying a file on the mother's boyfriend sitting on Ross' desk), Nichols knows that the forensic specialist he so highly revered, in fact, was the killer he is after. The deadline looming, Nichols knows that he has only so little time to nab his suspect. Another obstacle is his former partner, Ross' disregard at the mere notion that such a respected pathologist could be a sociopath, so Nichols will have his work cut out for him. This episode is noteworthy if just for the stare down scene between two marvelous pros, Goldblum and Baker, when both know who the girl's killer is, with Muller subtly threatening Nichols(regarding the right chemicals one can use to poison somebody). Not to mention, the great "trap" scene where Nichols corners Muller when he makes a major mistake with a hair that sinks him. It's great seeing Goldblum as a detective against a worthy adversary in the scientist Baker who is especially astute at portraying intelligent creeps. There's this great moment where Goldblum realizes Baker is the one, his eyes conveying to us the surprise without overplaying it. What I like about Goldblum being on a Law & Order show is that he doesn't fit the usual type of detective. He doesn't wear his emotion on his sleeve, his passions at nabbing the killer are subdued yet evident, and Goldblum's Nichols approaches every suspect(case) in such a calm, cool, and collected manner, you just know that this detective will catch the killer. I do like his work with Sapphron Burrows best, but it was nice seeing Goldblum opposite Erbe in this episode.

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